Mr Bear!

Another spectacular day here on the North Slope.  It was 66 degrees with just a very light breeze.  I had a great 5 mile run around the lake.  It was so nice out that sometimes I just stopped to admire nature. But when I got back to the hotel, just as I came between two trucks, I saw a huge grizzly bear standing right where I needed to go.

Detour time!  So I quickly ducked behind some larger containers and trucks and figured I would simply go around to the front door of the hotel.  When I passed back into the open, I found that the bear had decided to go in the same direction.  So now I faced him at 15 to 20 feet ahead, and heading in my direction.  He seemed a lot more interested in sniffing the ground than in running after me, so I just bolted across his path and ran into the front door of the hotel.  Then he sauntered on across the street over to the airport.  Later I got a call from the Flight Service Station advising that he had just been chased out of their parking lot.  So, since I work there, I decided to drive to work instead of walking like I usually do.  I brought my camera but was not blessed with another sighting of him.  He was a beauty too. I hope I do see him again, and have my camera with me, and am in a safe place!

A couple of pictures taken by DOT right outside of the Flight Service Station building.